My blogs

About me

Location	Berkeley, California
Introduction	Words and story have been at the center of my life as a novelist, short story and magazine writer, and former college and high school English teacher. My novels are mainly humorous Southern mysteries; my publisher, Simon & Schuster. I’ve eaten professionally as a food writer (the best gig ever) and worked on magazines including ATLANTA and NEW ORLEANS. I've written about scores of topics: cats, catfish, candy manufacturing, barbecue, fluorescent lighting, con artists, and beauty queens. Raised in a small town in northern Louisiana, I’ve lived my adult life in Atlanta, Manhattan, Santa Fe, and the Bay Area. I’ve stepped away from full-time writing to coach college essays, travel, and volunteer in Berkeley's schools, in fund-raising projects, and politics.

Location

Berkeley, California

Introduction

Words and story have been at the center of my life as a novelist, short story and magazine writer, and former college and high school English teacher. My novels are mainly humorous Southern mysteries; my publisher, Simon & Schuster. I’ve eaten professionally as a food writer (the best gig ever) and worked on magazines including ATLANTA and NEW ORLEANS. I've written about scores of topics: cats, catfish, candy manufacturing, barbecue, fluorescent lighting, con artists, and beauty queens. Raised in a small town in northern Louisiana, I’ve lived my adult life in Atlanta, Manhattan, Santa Fe, and the Bay Area. I’ve stepped away from full-time writing to coach college essays, travel, and volunteer in Berkeley's schools, in fund-raising projects, and politics.